Another Armenian defector turns up in Azerbaijan

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
23 Jul 04

[Presenter] Another Armenian citizen has arrived in Azerbaijan. Ispirt
Kazaryan came yesterday by a Moscow-Baku flight and said that his
visit’s objective was to express his protest against the Armenian
government from Azerbaijan.

[Correspondent over video of Kazaryan at a briefing and archive
footage of two other Armenian defectors, Roman Teryan and Artur
Apresyan] Another Armenian has joined those Armenians who arrived in
Azerbaijan two months ago to protest against the unbearable living
conditions in Armenia. This is Ispirt Kazaryan, 65. He was born in
1939 in the town of Leninakan in Armenia. He is currently living in
Armenia and working at a plant there. The reason he ran away from
Armenia seems unusual at first glance.

He said that the town authorities did not let him sell his house in
Leninakan and wanted to take it from him. When his appeals to the
Armenian president, prime minister and other bodies remained
unanswered, he decided to head for Azerbaijan which is regarded as an
enemy of his country.

[Kazaryan speaking in Russian with Azeri voice-over] I came here to
tell the entire world about the deplorable situation in Armenia. There
is no law and order there. I have no position or opportunities. I can
only tell them to leave me alone.

I treat the Azerbaijani people very well and this is why I chose to
come here to talk about my problems.

[Correspondent] It is interesting that Kazaryan who came here to talk
about his problems admits that he was once employed as a mercenary in
the Karabakh military operations. However, he said that although he
received money for going to Karabakh he did not shoot at Azerbaijanis.

[Kazaryan speaking in Russian with Azeri voice-over] I can no longer
recall how much money I was paid, but it was very little money. I was
doing some other work and did not take part in fighting. I heard there
that there were mercenaries from the Middle East and France, but I
personally did not see them.

[Correspondent] His views on the Karabakh problem are also
interesting. He once went to those lands as a mercenary, but regrets
the occupation of Karabakh now like most of the Armenians.

[Kazaryan speaking in Russian with Azeri voice-over] Many people
regret that they fought. Nowadays everyone is leaving
Armenia. Everybody knows that sooner or later, Azerbaijan’s lands will
be returned. These lands have to be returned.

[Correspondent] Kazaryan says that the Armenian people do not want
another war. He no longer thinks about his fate or the fate of his
relatives. I only want them to leave me alone, end quote.